All That Matters
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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"Look at what I've gained, I've earned
Since I've been here on this earth
I've collected everything that was of value and of worth
But there was something missing inside of me…
And then You came into my life and I realized
Everything I have is trash
Compared to knowing who You are
Everything is trash compared to knowing You
All that matters is You"
Jonah33- All That Matters
It's funny how we can look back and see that things we once thought were so important, really are useless. Four years ago if you were to ask me what I'd be doing in the next ten years, I would have told you that I would be completing my university, getting that great job, paying off my loans, buying my fancy house and car, then retiring at 45. Now I couldn't care less about any of those things.
I'm sure that you've experienced the same thing. Maybe you once desired to become a millionaire and now you would rather focus on the mission field. Or maybe you used to be so set on being at the top of the business world, but now your concern is being a good parent. In reality, as Christians our priorities and desires are going to change and not only is that a good thing, but a God thing.
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Philippi expressed it so well when he wrote: "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage so that I may have Christ and become one with Him." Paul's words still echo Truth to this day. You may not even realize it's happening, but the closer you become to Christ, the more and more you discard the things of this world.
Although this process is a lifelong one, it is a process that in many ways depend on the choices that you make and the values you choose to identify yourself with. For example, you may say that you desire nothing but Christ, but if you are caught up in buying a bigger house and better car, then your so-called desire for Christ is being dampened by your pursuit for things of this world.
But it doesn't have to be this way. If today you make the choice that Christ is above all else and then organize your life choices to reflect that decision, you will experience dynamic spiritual growth and as your experience that spiritual growth the old desires will begin to fade away and be replaced with that desire for Christ alone. Because in truth, the more we see eternally through Christ's eyes, the dimmer the things of this world will seem in our own.
Does this mean that you are going to be a popper living in the ghetto- no. God has a great plan for your life and when your focus is on Him alone, that plan is going to fall into place. It will change your priorities, it might even change parts of your personality, but all of these changes are good and do come from God.
Yeah, so maybe I no longer am pursuing my huge home and fancy car, but God has placed a fire within me that excites me more than any BMW or Hummer ever could.
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.